Various embodiments are directed to surgical systems that may be utilized in electrosurgical and/or ultrasonic devices to manage the delivery of energy to tissue to optimize tissue treatment.
Electrosurgical devices for applying electrical energy to tissue in order to treat and/or destroy the tissue are commonly used in surgical procedures. An electrosurgical device may comprise a hand piece and an instrument having a distally-mounted end effector (e.g., one or more electrodes). The end effector can be positioned against the tissue such that electrical current is introduced into the tissue. Electrosurgical devices can be configured for bipolar or monopolar operation. During bipolar operation, current is introduced into and returned from the tissue by active and return electrodes, respectively, of the end effector. During monopolar operation, current is introduced into the tissue by an active electrode of the end effector and returned through a return electrode (e.g., a grounding pad) separately located on a patient's body. Heat generated by the current flow through the tissue may form hemostatic seals within the tissue and/or between tissues and thus may be particularly useful for sealing blood vessels, for example. The end effector of an electrosurgical device may also comprise a cutting member that is movable relative to the tissue and the electrodes to transect the tissue.
Electrical energy applied by an electrosurgical device can be transmitted to the instrument by a generator in communication with the hand piece. The electrical energy may be in the form of radio frequency (“RF”) energy. RF energy is a form of electrical energy that may be in the frequency range of 300 kHz to 1 MHz. During its operation, an electrosurgical device can transmit low frequency RF energy through tissue, which causes ionic agitation, or friction, in effect resistive heating, thereby increasing the temperature of the tissue. Because a sharp boundary may be created between the affected tissue and the surrounding tissue, surgeons can operate with a high level of precision and control, without sacrificing un-targeted adjacent tissue. The low operating temperatures of RF energy may be useful for removing, shrinking, or sculpting soft tissue while simultaneously sealing blood vessels. RF energy may work particularly well on connective tissue, which is primarily comprised of collagen and shrinks when contacted by heat.
Ultrasonic surgical devices, such as ultrasonic scalpels, are another type of powered surgical devices used in surgical procedures. Depending upon specific device configurations and operational parameters, ultrasonic surgical devices can provide substantially simultaneous transection of tissue and homeostasis by coagulation, desirably minimizing patient trauma. An ultrasonic surgical device may comprise a hand piece containing an ultrasonic transducer, and an instrument coupled to the ultrasonic transducer having a distally-mounted end effector (e.g., a blade tip) to cut and seal tissue. In some cases, the instrument may be permanently affixed to the hand piece. In other cases, the instrument may be detachable from the hand piece, as in the case of a disposable instrument or an instrument that is interchangeable between different hand pieces. The end effector transmits ultrasonic energy to tissue brought into contact with the end effector to realize cutting and sealing action. Ultrasonic surgical devices of this nature can be configured for open surgical use, laparoscopic, or endoscopic surgical procedures including robotic-assisted procedures.
Ultrasonic energy cuts and coagulates tissue using frictional heating and can be transmitted to the end effector by an ultrasonic generator in communication with the hand piece. Vibrating at high frequencies (e.g., 55,500 times per second), the ultrasonic blade denatures protein in the tissue to form a sticky coagulum. Pressure exerted on tissue by the blade surface collapses blood vessels and allows the coagulum to form a hemostatic seal. A clinician can control the cutting speed and coagulation by the force applied to the tissue by the end effector, the time over which the force is applied and the selected excursion level of the end effector.
Electrosurgical and ultrasonic devices that operate in conjunction with an external generator typically do not carry an on-board power supply. This limits the functionality that can be provided by the devices themselves. For example, in generator-connected surgical devices it is not currently feasible to include components that consume high levels of power such as, for example, motors, powered sensors, microprocessors, etc.